Ventilating apparatus



April 11, 1939. G, QPOLK 2,154,410

VENTILATING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR F 1 W c. 0

I6 WKM J4 ATTORNEY April 11, 1939. Q Q PQLK 2,154,410

' VENTILATING APPARATUS Filed April 23, 1936 2 Shee*ts-Sheet 2 104, ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1939 PATENT OFFICE VENTILATING APPARATUS Gilbert 0. Polk, Detroit, Mich., assignor to American Blower Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1936, Serial No. 75,930

4 Claims.

My invention relates in general to the method of and apparatus for conditioning the air in a building, and more particularly to the method of and apparatus for ventilatingand cooling the interior of a. building.

One of the objects of my invention'is to provide a new and improved method of and appa ratus for ventilating and cooling the interior of a building.

1 Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved method of and apparatus forventilating and, cooling. the interior of a building in a manner such that the basement is of the building will be maintained dry and odorless.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention, in which drawings Figure l is a fragmentary view of a building shown in vertical cross section for illustrating my method of ventilating and cooling the interior of a building;

Fig. 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 2.2 of Fig. 1, showing a fan employed in the carrying out of my method of ventilating .and cooling a building;

Fig. 3 is a view shown in elevation and taken in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a View shownin cross section and taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

My invention is applicable in the ventilating and cooling of buildings, and more particularly to the ventilating and cooling of residences. In Fig. 1 there is shown a conventional type of residence for the purpose of illustrating my invention and the residence shown has the usual basement I, first floor 2, and second floor 3, the second floor usually being divided into a number of bedrooms or sleeping quarters. It is to be understood that my method of and apparatus for ventilating and cooling buildings may be used in buildings of more than two stories. From the basement I a 50 stairway 4 leads up to the first floor 2, while a stairway 5 leads up from the first floor 2 to the second floor 3, these stairways being open, as is usually the case, and through which air may flow from one floor to another. In a vertical wall 6 of the residence shown there is the usual window openings 1 and 8 for the first and second floors respectively, the window openings being closable by windows I0.

In a vertical wall of the basement I there is a window opening II closable by a window I2 which, in the present instance, is hinged at its upper end and is adapted to be swung inwardly to open the Window, as shown in dotted lines, Fig, 1. Disposed in the basement I there is a fan or blower, designated in general by the numeral 19 I3, the fan being arranged substantially in alignment with the basement window opening I I for discharging air from the basement I through the window opening II to outdoor atmosphere, or externally of the building. The fan structure I3 comprises in general a fan blade I4, a housing I5 for the blade, and an electric motor I6 for driving the fan. The housing I5 is substantially square as seen from the rear or air inlet side, Fig. 2, while the air outlet end of the housing I5 is preferably circular in shape, as at Il'. Preferably the inner side wall of the housing I5, as at I8, is convex in form and tapers from the inlet end inwardly to the circular outlet end II. The motor I6 and blade I4 may be secured to the 25 housing I5 by radially disposed metallic strips 20. The strips 20 are secured at one end to the back of the housing I5 and extend inwardly from the corners of the housing toward the center thereof having their inner endssecured to the 30 housing of the motor It. The fan structure I3 may be suspended from the flooring cross members, as at 2|, of the first floor and preferably the fan structure is spring suspended by coil springs 22 so as to dampen vibratory noise of the fan 35 and motor. The fan is spaced from the wall in which the window opening II is located so that access may be had to the window for opening and closing the same.

An open ended conduit or extension 23 is provided for the passage of air from the fan outlet I! to the window opening II and preferably the conduit 23 is formed of a fabric such as canvas. One end of the conduit 23 may fit over an outlet end portion of the fan housing I5 and may be 5 secured thereto by a split clamping ring 24 having apertured flange portions 25 at its ends for receiving a screw 26 by means of which to draw the ring tightly around the housing I5. The other or outlet end of the conduit 23, as at 21, may be fixed to tacking strips 28 which in turn may be suitably secured to the basement wall surrounding the window opening I I. In the fabric conduit 23 there is an opening 29 longitudi- 55 nally thereof through which access may be had to the interior of the conduit and to the window l2 for opening and closing the same. Preferably the opening 29 extends centrally of the conduit 23 and along the underside thereof, and this opening may be closed by a so-called. zipper fastener, or by any other suitable fastening means.

To ventilate and cool the interior of a residence the fan is started and one or more windows 8, of the second floor, opened for the entrance of the relatively cool outdoor air. The subatmospheric pressure created by the fan in back of its inlet causes the relatively warm air from the first and second floors to be drawn down into the base, whence it is discharged by the fan to outdoor atmosphere and causes relatively cool outdoor air to be drawn into the building through the open window or windows 8 of the second floor. The fiow of air into the building through the open window of windows of the second floor causes circulation 'of cool air throughout the second floor and thus maintains the second floor cool and the sleeping quarters ideally ventilated. Under the action of the fan in the basement, air flows down the stairway to the first floor causing cooling and circulating of the air of the first floor, and flows down the stairway 4 into the basement. Forced air circulation is thus established with the relatively warm air from the upper floors being drawn down into the basement for discharge by the fan to outdoor atmosphere through the basement window I l. Air drawn down into the basement causes circulation of air throughout the basement and the circulating air entrains or absorbs any moisture in the basement, the moisture and odors being discharged with the air to outdoor atmosphere. It will be understood that the windows of the first floor could be opened instead of the windows of the second fioor, if it were desired to ventilate and cool only the first floor. By locating the fan in the basement of a building it will be understood that not only is the warm air drawn down into the basement from the upper floors and thus inducing relatively cool air to enter the upper floors, but also the basement is maintained dry and free of odors which might otherwise reach the living quarters. Also by locating the fan in the basement the noise of the operation of the fan will not likely be heard on the second floor so that the fan can run all night during hot weather without disturbing the sleep of the occupants of the second floor. In addition, the location of the fan in the basement does not mar the appearance, of, nor occupy space in the living quarters.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of. the United States is:

1. In a ventilating and cooling system for a building having a window in the basement, a fan disposed in the basement for discharging air through the window opening to atmosphere whereby odors and moisture are discharged from the basement, said fan being spaced from said window so as to give access to the window to open and close the same, and a conduit having one end disposed toward and adjacent to the outlet side of said fan and having its other end disposed toward and adjacent to said window, said conduit having a closable opening therein through which access may be had to said window.

2. In a ventilating and cooling system for a building having a window, a fan disposed within the building and arranged to discharge air through the window opening to outside atmosphere, said fan being spaced from the window so as to give access to the window to open and close the same, and a conduit having one end overlying the outlet side of said fan and having its other end overlying the window opening, said conduit having a closable opening therein through which accessmay be had to the window.

3. In a ventilating and cooling system for a building having a window, a fan disposed within the building and arranged to discharge air through the window opening to outside atmosphere, said fan being spaced from the window so that access may be had tothe window for opening and closing the same, an open ended fabric conduit having one end secured to the wall around and overlying the window opening and having its other end overlying the outlet side of said fan, said conduit having a closable opening therein through which access may be had to the window, and means for closing the opening in said conduit.

4. An air discharge apparatus for a room having an opening to the exterior of the room, an openable closure member for the opening, a conduit having it marginal portion at one end closed with the marginal portion of the opening and extending therefrom intothe room, a fan and motor unit positioned at and carrying the inlet end of said conduit and operable to discharge air from the room through said conduit and the opening, means suspending said unit from the room ceiling, said conduit being of fabric and said suspending means being resilient so as to oppose transmission of vibration from said unit to the room walls, and means for access to the interior of said conduit at the opening so that said closure member can be opened.

GILBERT C POLK- 

